Gameplay Rules
The following is a rough translation of the official rules translated from the official web site . If there are any glaring errors, please notify me, and I’ll promptly make the corrections as necessary. (Or simply edit this page with your own corrections!) A View of the Cards There are three types of cards in the FF-TCG, and the card type can be distinguished by the text box in the upper left-hand corner. Forwards (shown left) comprise your attack force, and are a central part of your deck. They are easily distinguished from the other types by the Power number in the bottom-right hand corner. You can have an unlimited number of Forwards in play. Backups (shown right) are responsible for providing a steady source of Crystal Points, which are needed to play cards from your hand. You can have a maximum of five Backups in play at any time. Monsters (not shown) are played in active state and can use abilities on the turn they are played but do not provide Crystal Points. 1. Cost and Attribute: Indicates the amount and type of CP needed to play the card. 2. Card Name: In addition to the name of the card, the bar may also have an icon on the right side. *The three-card icon indicates that any number of copies of this card may be in play at any time. Usually, only one copy of a card with a given name can be on the field at a time. *An EX icon indicates that the card has an EX Burst effect (see below). 3. Card Type: The card’s type. To the right-hand side is the character’s job. 4. Text: The card’s effects. Other than the name written on the card itself, this helps identify the card. 5. Card Number: Card rarity and serial number. 6. Power: Only appears on Forward cards. This figure is used to determine how much damage a card deals while attacking, and how much damage it can sustain while defending. If a card takes more damage than its Power level, it Breaks (is discarded). There is also help in tight moments, and summons are like a trump card. 1. Cost / Attribute The cost required to summon this monster. You must always pay at least 1 CP of the same attribute as the card. 2. Card Name Similarly to characters, cards with EX Burst have an icon on the right-hand side. 3. Card Type Summon Monsters do not have jobs, so only “Summon Monster” is written here. 4. Text Once you resolve the effect written here on the card, put it in the Break Zone. 5. Card Number Card rarity and serial number. Summon Monsters are placed on the Field, used only one time, and each have a powerful effect. Summon Monsters, too, cards can be used like Forwards and Backups to interrupt your opponent’s actions using the abilities written in the text field (see page 5). *POINT* Only 3 of the same card are allowed in a deck. For cards with the same name, any number can be on the Field if they have the three-card icon. If a card shares the same name but does not have the three-card icon, only one of those cards may be played (however, this does not include your opponent’s cards). 8 ATTRIBUTES Red Crystal – FIRE– Many attacks during a battle from Summon Monsters and Characters will use the fire attribute. Light Blue Crystal – ICE– The Ice attribute excels at keeping your opponent from being able to perform abilities during battle. Green Crystal – WIND -With this attribute, a game will be quick and characters will be light and fast. Yellow Crystal – EARTH – Characters with this attribute are substantially larger and sturdier with solid defense. Purple Crystal – LIGHTNING – This attribute will determine victory or defeat by removing characters with a single blow. Dark Blue Crystal – WATER – This attribute helps draw more cards, and you’ll indirectly gain an advantage. Clear Crystal – LIGHT Black Crystal – DARKNESS – Light cards utilize the power of order and virtue, while Darkness cards utilize the power of chaos and evil. Because of this, only one can be used on your Field. Rarity Special Rare - Rare - Ultra Rare - Common - Entry S ---------------- R --------- U ---------- C -------- E Degrees of Rarity High <———————————————- Low The cards have 4 categories of rarity, S, R, U, and C, while E is only contained in the Entry Set. Using Cards All cards cost Crystal Points (CP) to put into play. There are two methods of generating CP. The first way is to discard cards from your hand. Each card you throw away to generate CP generates 2 CP of the same attribute as that card. The second way is to Dull Backup cards (a mechanic similar to "tapping" in Magic: The Gathering). Each Backup that you Dull for CP generates 1 CP of the same attribute as that backup. Using CP: After making these preparations and paying these costs, use your cards. *POINT* When playing a card, the card requires at least 1 CP of the same attribute. However, it’s acceptable to use any attribute of CP when playing a Light or Darkness attribute card. Since only Light and Darkness attribute cards are special, be careful because you cannot trash these cards to generate CP. Once you generate the required cost of CP, you cannot use any remaining CP to play another card or ability. Field 1. Forwards are placed in the upper half of your side of the field. Forwards come out Active on the turn they are played but cannot use Dull abilities or attack on the turn when they are placed on the field. When a Forward is defeated in battle, they "Break", and are sent to the Break Zone. 2. Backups are placed in the lower half of your side of the field. Backups come out Dulled on the turn they are played. Remember that a maximum of 5 Backups may be in play at one time. 3. Damage Zone. Each time your opponent deals direct damage to you, take one card from the top of your Deck, and place it face-up here. You lose the game if 7 cards are placed in the Damage Zone. 4. Your Deck. At the start of each turn, you draw cards from here and place them in your hand. If there are no more cards in the Deck when you need to draw a card, you lose the game. 5. Break Zone. Forward cards defeated in battle, cards discarded from the field, as well as cards you discard from your hand, are placed face-up here. Setting Up A New Game At the start of the game, you and your opponent perform the following steps: 1. Prepare a deck of exactly 50 cards for yourself. Only 3 copies of any card are allowed to a deck. Cards with identical names but different abilities do not count as copies of the same card. (Example: You may have three copies of [[Black Belt (1)|'Black Belt (1)']] and three copies of [[Black Belt (2)|'Black Belt (2)']] in the same deck.) 2. Thoroughly shuffle your deck. 3. Flip a coin to determine who plays first. 4. Draw a hand of 5 cards from the top of your own deck. Flow of Gameplay Reset Phase --> Draw Phase --> Main Phase 1 --> Attack Phase --> Main Phase 2 --> End Phase Reset Phase ''' (Note: This phase is effectively ignored during each player's first turn.) Change any Forward and Backup cards in the Dulled state (horizontal) to the Active state (vertical). '''Draw Phase Draw 2 cards from the deck and add them to your hand. (Exception: If you are playing the first turn of the game, draw only 1 card.) Be careful; if you have no more cards in your deck at the start of the Draw Phase, you lose. Main Phase During this phase you may, in any order, play cards to the field and/or use abilities. *Playing Character Cards: After paying the required CP cost, as detailed above, play a Forward or Backup card (or cards) from your hand to the Field. Backups are played in the Dull state. Forwards are played in the Active state, but cannot attack or use abilities with the Dull icon in the turn they are played. (Exception: Forwards with the "Haste" ability are not hindered in this way.) *Playing Summon Monster cards: After paying the required CP cost, show a Summon Card to your opponent, resolve that card's effects, and place it in the Break Zone immediately after. Also, your summons can be used to interrupt your opponent’s summons and abilities. *Using Character abilities: Preceding the description of any Action Ability or Special Ability is its cost. By choosing to pay it, you activate its effects. You can also interrupt your opponent’s Abilities and Summon Monsters. Attack Phase This is where combat takes place. If you prefer not to attack this turn, skip to the End Phase. 1. Prior to attacking, if you are the first attacker, you can also use abilities and summon monsters to block. 2. To attack with one of your Forward cards, Dull that Forward. Forwards that are already Dulled cannot attack, and Forwards without the "Haste" ability cannot attack on the turn they are played to the field. 3. Your opponent may choose to Block with a defending Forward. She may select any Forward on her side of the field, so long as it is in Active mode. 4a. If your opponent Blocks, the attacking and defending Forwards deal damage to each other. The defending Forward receives damage equal to the attacking Forward's Power, and vice versa. If either Forward suffers damage greater than their Power rating, that Forward Breaks. For any Forwards that do not Break after combat, the damage they took will persist until the end of the turn. 4b. If yo ur opponent does not (or cannot) Block, she takes one point of Direct Damage. 5. If you wish to attack again, return to Step 1. Main Phase * The same things can be done in this phase as in the first Main Phase. End Phase Subtract damage dealt by Forwards, and if you have more than 5 cards in your hand discard back down to 5 cards. *Abilities and Summon Monsters can be used during these times. Forming parties: When selecting Forwards to attack, any number of Forwards can form a party to attack as a single character providing that the Forwards could all otherwise attack and: *The Forwards are all of the same element OR *The Forwards all have the P ability symbols When in a party, the power of the party is equal to the sum of the power of its members. When in a party, if one of the Forwards cannot be blocked or has First Strike, it is only effective if all the Forwards in the party have that ability. When a party receives damage, the defending player decides how that damage is distributed. If there is only one Forward remaining in a party, that Forward is no longer in a party. Abilities Characters have 4 particular large groups of abilities. Using them effectively will bring you closer to victory. Field Abilities These are abilities that will constantly effect only the Field. This may effect things like reducing the cost of your summons, or raise the power of your Forwards. Action Abilities These abilities require that the cost written to the left-hand side of the “:” in the text field be paid to use. Often you will see the card’s requirement is to Dull it (which is identified with a down-turning arrow icon). Auto Abilities These abilities activate when something in particular happens. “When X happens, do Y” is stated on the card, and when placed on the Field many effects can occur. Special Abilities Using and Throwing Away Cards with the Same Name Action Abilities are marked with a specific name, and in addition to the usual cost, using these abilities requires throwing away cards with the same name (the S icon signifies this cost). This can cost the same if the cards have different names, for example if you use Tifa’s Waterkick, if the upper picture on another card looks like Tifa then it’s okay to also throw that card away. *ABILITY KEYWORDS* Haste: With this ability, it’s possible to do things like attack and use Dull abilities on the turn they’ve been played onto the Field. Brave: Does not Dull when attacking (however you can only attack once per turn as usual). Preemptive Strike: When attacking and blocking, your Forwards are able to deal damage before your opponents. Level UP: When this character breaks a Forward or damages an opponent, you may break this card to search your deck for a Forward with the same name and place it on the field in the Dull position. Link: When this card enters the field, you may play one Forward with a cost equal or less than the listed cost at no cost. Assist: You can place this card in the break zone to activate the following ability. Soldier: You can send one character with the listed job to the break zone to reduce the casting cost of this card by one. The casting cost must remain higher than 0. Overdrive: At casting time, you can increase the casting cost of this character by the overdrive cost to five this character the following ability. Awakening: By paying the cost, you can search your deck for a card with the same name as this card and put is on the field. This can only be done on your turn. (This will usually force you to put one of the two cards in your break zone). Blue Magic: Pay the following cost and discard a card with the same blue magic to use the following ability. Damage and EX Burst If the attacking Forward hits one of yours that isn’t blocking, take the top card of your deck and place it face up in the Damage Zone. You lose the moment you take 7 damage. Also, if the card turned over has an EX Burst ability, you can use that effect. Important EX Burst Point If a card gets turned up with EX Burst, the effect can be used immediately, and no one’s summon monsters or abilities can interrupt it. Also, in a situation where the card flipped states “When this card is placed on the Field…”, the card does not get placed on the field, but the described effect is activated.